The Castaway Hotel - 7 - 37. Chapter 37 - Vinnie Please Call Home

I was confused as to why Vinnie hadn’t at least called me to explain what had happened. He carried his cell phone with him at all times, so I saw no reason why he hadn’t phoned to either explain what he saw or advise me about what he was doing. I even tried to call him, but he didn’t answer. When I was prompted to leave a message, I left word for him to call home immediately.

Needless to say, I was beginning to panic, even though I had told Kevin not to. This wasn’t like Vinnie at all, so I was deeply concerned. I realized the shock of catching Kevin with someone else, along with the anger he must have felt as a result of that discovery, might have clouded his judgment. Therefore, it may have caused him to do something he wouldn’t have normally done, under normal circumstances.

When Jake awoke, I filled him in about the details, as I knew them, and then explained how worried I was about Vinnie’s safety. After talking it over, we decided if Vinnie didn’t show up by noon, either at home or back at Kevin’s dorm room, we’d go out looking for him. We realized it would be futile to call the police at this point, because Vinnie would have to be missing for forty-eight hours before they’d even consider doing anything. For that reason, we were technically on our own, for the time being.

For the next few hours, I couldn’t even force myself to do anything but wait for a phone call. Occasionally, I would also dial Vinnie’s cell number and pray he would answer. I had to believe he was all right. Speaking of praying, that’s exactly what Jake and I did, as we continued our vigil.

The minutes seemed to drag on for hours and word spread through the family faster than a computer virus on a broadband Internet connection. As the various boys came downstairs and questioned the worried expressions chiseled on Jake’s and my face, we tried downplaying our fears, but our attempts weren’t exactly successful. I guess the boys knew us both too well and saw through our transparent attempt to deceive them.

Without telling them exactly what had happened, we explained that Kevin and Vinnie had a misunderstanding and Vinnie took off. I went on to explain that none of us had heard from Vinnie since and we were just worried that something might have happened to him. The boys were equally concerned and promised to do whatever they could to help. We thanked them and advised the boys we’d let them know what they could do. I’m not sure they were satisfied with our response, but they left us alone. Once they were gone, Jake and I talked about what we might do if no one heard from Vinnie by the deadline.

Almost precisely at noon the phone rang and I prayed it would be the call that lifted this veil of apprehension from all of us. “Hello,” I said, as I picked it up.

“Dad, it’s me Kev. I haven’t heard from Vinnie yet. Have you?” My heart sank.

“No, Kevin. We’ve heard nothing here either.” I could hear him moan slightly.

“Dad, this is all my fault and I’m scared something has happened to Vinnie. I’ll never forgive myself if it has,” he sobbed into the phone, and I knew the guilt of his actions was beginning to overwhelm him.

“Look, Jake and I are going to drive to Philadelphia to look for Vinnie and we’ll stop by to see you too,” I advised him. “I’ll have my cell phone with me, so call me if you hear anything.”

“I will, Dad, and you call me if you find him,” Kevin pleaded. He was still choking back his tears but I could tell it wasn’t as bad as it had been a few seconds before. At least he felt some hope, because we were going to search for his lover now.

“Kev, I will, and we’ll see you in a few hours,” I advised him. “We won’t be rushing, because we’ll be looking for signs of Vinnie along the way, but we will be there before dinnertime. I’ll have the boys call me if they hear from Vinnie while we’re gone and you do the same.”

“Okay, Dad,” Kevin confirmed. “See you in a little while then.”

After I hung up, Jake and I got a few things together, to take with us on this trip. Before we left, we discussed the upcoming Valentine’s Day party with the boys and tried to encourage them to go ahead with their plans. However, they were adamant that they wanted to wait for Jake and I to return, so we could join them.

Even though I was impressed with their intentions, I explained we probably wouldn’t be home until very late, so they shouldn’t wait for us. The boys countered by saying they’d hold the party on Sunday then, so we’d be there too. They said they would contact Aunt Susan and tell her what was going on, so she could adjust her plans accordingly. Even though Jake and I tried to convince them not to do this, it was immediately evident we weren’t about to change their minds. Therefore, we just thanked them and headed out for the Grand Am.

Jake and I planned to follow the route we knew Vinnie would have taken, both to go see Kevin and then to return home. Even though it would be more difficult to spot him once we got on the Interstate, we thought we still might be able to see enough, in case he was stranded somewhere along the way. One of us would drive and keep an eye out, while the other would just sit and scan the entire area for signs of our missing son. It wasn’t much of a plan, but it was all we could think of doing.

The drive seemed to take forever, and at one point I thought I saw Vinnie’s 4Runner going in the opposite direction, so I dialed his cell phone again to see if it was him. When I got no answer, I assumed it was just a similar looking vehicle and we drove on. Kevin must have been watching for us, because by the time we pulled into the lot near his dorm, he came racing out to greet us.

“I’m such an idiot,” he announced, as his greeting. “I was a fucking fool to do that in the first place, and then have Vinnie see it and hurt him that way… Dad, what am I going to do?”

“Once we locate Vinnie, you’ll apologize and tell him the things you’ve told us,” I suggested. “I think that will show him how much you really care about him.”

“I don’t think he’ll want to listen,” Kevin countered, “and I can’t blame him. I’m not sure I’d listen to him, if I had caught him cheating on me like that.”

Kevin was beginning to cry again, so I suggested we go to his dorm room, where he wouldn’t draw attention to his situation. I wasn’t sure he’d want to explain to others about what was troubling him. It was a very personal matter and there are some things you don’t wish to discuss with anyone else, regardless of how well you know them.

Once we were alone in his room, I just held Kevin and allowed him to let his pain come out. Jake and I discovered later that Kevin’s roommate just happened to have gone home that weekend and was one reason why Kevin invited the other boy to his room for a little fun. The fact that his roommate wasn’t there also allowed us a chance to spend some private time with Kevin, during which we tried to reassure him everything would be fine. Although he wasn’t buying in to our arguments, because he truly believed Vinnie would never forgive him for what he’d done, I think he was letting go of some of his pain.

About an hour had passed, so I suggested we go out to eat before Jake and I left. One reason for doing this was because Kevin had told us he hadn’t eaten anything since he tried to catch Vinnie the previous evening. I didn’t want him getting physically ill because he wasn’t getting any nourishment, so I made him go out with us for dinner. I also made him choose where we’d go, since I figured he’d be more likely to eat if he liked the place we went to.

Kevin decided he was in the mood for pizza, so we went to a small place not far from the campus. It was a local haunt the college students loved to hang out at and Kevin said the pizza was excellent. We ordered a large pie and let Kevin choose what he wanted on it. I also ordered a side salad and a drink for each of us.

Although Kevin was still down, he did eat well. I guess his stomach finally informed him he had neglected it for far too long, so he ended up devouring four slices of pizza and his salad, plus several drinks. It was good to see him putting something into his system. Once we finished, I paid the bill, left a tip and then we took Kevin back to his dorm.

Once we got there, I called the house, to see if there was any word on Vinnie. I soon discovered they had heard nothing, which concerned me even more. Since I knew I wouldn’t rest until we located our prodigal son, I told Kevin it was time for Jake and I to go. It was imperative we leave early, since we were going to be taking our time traveling home. It would be a slow and tedious process, as we checked every inch of the highway looking for signs of Vinnie. We would get off at every exit ramp and stop at each rest area, all the way to the house.

After hearing our plans, Kevin begged to go with us, but I told him I didn’t think that would be wise. We weren’t planning to make another trip back here and I didn’t want him to miss any classes.

“Dad, I’m not going to be able to concentrate or do anything until I’ve worked things out with Vinnie anyways,” he informed me. “So, can’t I go back with you? I really need to do this.” His face pleaded with me to give in to his request, but I just couldn’t do that.

“Kevin, I know this is important for you, but you are thinking with your heart and not your head,” I countered. “You can’t afford to take time off from classes now and if we hear anything or locate Vinnie, we’ll let you know. In fact, I promise that I’ll drive out here with him next weekend, so you two can patch things up. Will that help?”

Although Kevin looked slightly relieved, I could see he still didn’t totally agree with my suggestion. However, he finally relented by saying, “Okay, as long as you’ll make sure Vinnie calls me as soon as you find him, because I really need to tell him how sorry I am. Then you have to promise you’ll bring him here next Friday and stay until Sunday afternoon. I have a lot of making up to do with him.”

“I promise, Kevin, and we’ll keep in touch,” I confirmed.

Jake and I both hugged and kissed Kevin, to let him know that even though he made a horrible mistake, we loved him nonetheless. He walked us out to the car and didn’t go back inside until we disappeared from sight, but I knew how depressed he still felt. In fact, he probably wasn’t going to feel any better until Vinnie and he had worked things out.

Jake and I drove under the speed limit all the way home, to ensure we wouldn’t miss anything. We searched both sides of the highway and looked for signs of Vinnie and the 4Runner. I feared Vinnie might have been involved in an accident, which hadn’t yet been discovered, and was stranded somewhere off the beaten path. However, we saw no signs of anything of that nature, so I guess my hunch was wrong.

Jake and I got off at each exit and drove a little ways in each direction, to see if we could find any trace of our missing son or his vehicle. After finding nothing to indicate he had been there, we would get back on the interstate and continue searching.

At each rest area, we would not only stop and look around, but we’d also try to find anyone who might be on duty there. We would ask them if they’d seen a boy on crutches during the past 24-hours, figuring they might remember that one obvious detail. Try as we might, the best we did was to find one guard who said he’d seen several men and boys on crutches over the past couple of days. However, he could not give us enough specific information to allow us to identify Vinnie as being one of them. Somewhat disappointed, we continued on like this, until we finally arrived back at the house.

Some of the boys came running out to greet us and see if we’d found Vinnie, but when they learned we hadn’t, they were as disappointed as we were. They informed us they hadn’t heard from him either, so I was now ready to push the panic button again. To prevent that from happening, I decided it would be wise to seek assistance from law enforcement, but not tonight. It was nearly midnight and I knew it would be too dark for them to accomplish much. Besides, it hadn’t been 48 hours yet, but tomorrow I’d explain none of us had seen Vinnie since Friday at school. It wasn’t exactly a lie, since Kevin hadn’t really seen him either.

Once I concluded we’d all do better after having a good night’s sleep, I sent everyone to bed. We’d go to church first, before we did anything else, so we could pray for Vinnie’s safe return, and then I’d call Steve Shay. He was legally Vinnie’s father, so he should know what had happened, but I also hoped he’d know someone in a high enough position to help us with our predicament.

When I went inside, I discovered Ted and his Aunt Jane were there. I had totally forgotten they were coming for our party. Sammy had invited him to be his date for the Valentine’s Day shindig, which thrilled Ted to no end. He told his Aunt Jane about it, even though I had called and given her a heads-up before I allowed Sammy to make his call. Jane took the weekend off and volunteered to bring her nephew, after she worked things out with Ted’s parents. Jane and Ted merely told them they were coming to visit us and never mentioned that Ted had a date for a party. It was probably a wise move on their part, even though I hate to lie or deceive parents in this manner.

The boys had gotten both of them set up in a room, since we had plenty of space with all the college boys being away. Ted and Jane would spend tonight with us and then leave after things finished tomorrow. Due to their long drive home, we’d have to have the party earlier than originally planned. We would eat at 4:00 and then proceed with the other activities, so we’d finish up around 7:00. That way, they could get home by midnight.

Although there were a bunch of protests about not wanting to go to church the next morning, I was insistent. In an effort to try to get me to change my mind, my sons argued someone should stay at the house, just in case Vinnie called or returned, but I wasn’t convinced. They pressed their case by stating I didn’t allow them to take their cell phones in to church, so they didn’t see how Vinnie could reach us. To dismiss their argument, I told them I’d take my cell phone with me, set to vibrate of course, just in case Vinnie called. Obviously, they couldn’t find any other issues to use to change my mind, so they gave up and went up to their rooms.

After suffering through a rotten night’s sleep, as my concerns about Vinnie grew, I slowly came to life. Once I was sufficiently coherent, I went around and made sure all the boys were up and everyone was getting ready for church. Once they were dressed appropriately, we loaded everyone into our vehicles and headed to our usual place of worship. After we’d been there for a few minutes, I think the boys began to be thankful I made them come. We all prayed and discovered a renewed sense of hope in doing so.

Ted and Jane really seemed to enjoy being there with us. They reveled in being part of such a large group and had been greeted warmly by the rest of the congregation when we arrived. It was obvious they felt a special connection to our family and eagerly participated in the service.

When the minister finished his sermon, the boys pulled me aside. They informed me, in their own way, that they wanted to go home, instead of having brunch, as we would normally do. This time I gave in to their request, since I was eager to get in touch with Steve. Jake said he and some of the boys would whip something up instead, to tide us over until our special dinner.

When we arrived home, I checked the messages on our answering machine, but there was still no word from Vinnie. Feeling depressed, I got on the phone and called Steve. He picked it up on the third ring.

“Steve, it’s Josh,” I announced. “Vinnie has turned up missing and it’s been over 24-hours since any of us last saw him. Do you know anyone in law enforcement who might be able to help?”

“What happened?” Steve gasped back.

“It’s a long story, but I’ll explain in a minute,” I said. “However, do you know anyone in law enforcement who might be able to assist us?”

“Yes, Josh, I do,” he confirmed. “But please tell me what happened?”

“I let Vinnie go see Kevin, but Kevin happened to be entertaining someone else at the time,” I explained. “Vinnie walked in and caught them in a compromising position and freaked out. He took off and none of us have seen or heard from him since.”

“Damn, Josh. I hope he’s okay,” Steve responded. “Look, I know the commander of the local State Police barracks, so let me call and explain to him my adopted son is missing. I’ll have him contact you for the details. Will that be okay?”

“Yes, Steve. More than okay,” I agreed. “I’m sorry I let this happen.”

“Josh, Vinnie’s eighteen and a strong-minded young man,” Steve admitted. “He’s not easy to rein in, once he’s made up his mind, and I know you would never have allowed him to do anything that might be potentially dangerous. I’m sure he was hurt because of what he saw, so it’s possible he believes he can’t face any of us yet. Let’s hope he’s just staying at a motel somewhere, trying to cool off and regain what’s left of his dignity.”

“I pray you’re right about that, Steve,” I concurred, “but Jake and I just drove the entire length of the route Vinnie would have taken to get to Temple and then back again. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any trace of him, so I’m really worried about this. I’ve already lost two sons and there’s no way I could handle going through something like that again.”

“Don’t worry, Josh,” Steve suggested. “I’m willing to bet Vinnie’s fine. Just give it some time and I’m sure he’ll return. I’ll make that call now, so be expecting to hear something shortly. The State Police will probably want a picture and a description of what Vinnie was wearing, so see if you can get that together in the meantime.”

“Right, Steve,” I agreed. “I’ll do that and thanks for your help.”

I hung up and started asking the boys if any of them remembered what Vinnie was wearing when he left for school on Friday.

“I’m pretty sure he had on his brown corduroys,” Graham informed me.

“Yeah, that’s what he was wearing,” Sammy confirmed. “He also was wearing a black sweater. I remember, because I saw him in the hallway in school, right after lunch.”

“Okay, any idea what shoes he was wearing?” I continued.

“Same ones he almost always wears,” Cole informed me. “His brown, slip-on Nevados.”

“Okay, what about his jacket?” I pressed.

“He was wearing his black Old Navy jacket,” Trey added.

“Okay, I think I have enough for when Uncle Steve’s friend calls me,” I informed them. “Thanks, boys. This will help a lot.”

Now, all I had to do was to wait for the phone to ring and that didn’t happen right away. It was nearly an hour later, before I got the call.